Exeter Chiefs’ squad players gave Rob Baxter a timely reminder of their capabilities as they negotiated their first Anglo-Welsh Cup match of the season with a seven-try rout of Northampton Saints.

James Short, Toby Salmon, Alec Hepburn, James Freeman and Elvis Taione all dotted down in a rip-roaring first half, with George Furbank and Tom Stephenson responding for the visitors.

Tom O’Flaherty and Salmon bagged tries in the second half, with Joe Simmonds finishing the afternoon with eight points.

Second-half tries from Juan Pablo Estelles and Rory Hutchinson ensured the Saints left with a try bonus point, with Stephen Myler and James Grayson bagging two conversions apiece.

The Saints – rocked by three injury replacements inside the first 14 minutes – remained a dangerous attacking threat throughout the afternoon.

However, Exeter – who welcomed back the likes of Ollie Devoto and Sam Hill from long-term injury – simply had too much steel in defence and power in attack for the visitors.

A late rally from the visitors, which saw them score 14 points unanswered in the final nine minutes, was the only blot on Exeter's copybook.

It took just eight minutes for Exe to open the scoring. With an advantage waiting, Simmonds produced a perfectly weighted chip for Short to collect on the far side to score. Simmonds converted.

But the Saints were soon level. Cobus Reinach cut a super line through the centre of Exeter’s defence, and despite a magnificent covering tackle from Ollie Devoto, a couple of pop passes eventually found Furbank to score. Myler’s conversion made it 7-7.

The Chiefs resorted their lead on the 15-minute mark, with Salmon backing himself one-on-one against his man in the corner and powering over the line.

Simmonds nailed the touchline conversion, but he could not find the mark from Hepburn’s close-range finish six minutes later.

As shaky as the Saints looked in defence, they remained a threat with ball in hand – as shown by their second score as they sliced their way up to the line before a series of pick-and-goes saw Stephenson crash over.

But the hosts responded almost immediately, with Freeman showing super power to break a couple of tackles before bullocking over the line for the try bonus point. Simmonds bagged another tricky conversion.

And there was still time for a fifth for the Chiefs, with Taione dotting down off the back of a rolling maul.

This time Simmonds hit the post with the conversion, leaving the score 31-14 at the break.

And the hosts picked up where they left off in the second half, with O’Flaherty diving over in the corner nine minutes after the restart. For the second time in the afternoon, Simmonds hit the post with the conversion.

And Exe had their seventh just four minutes later. With the Saints defence crumbling in front of them, Salmon dived over for his second of the afternoon which Simmonds converted.

The game may have started fizzling out, but Saints then lit it up with a superb score, with Estelles collecting a delicate chip over the top of the defence from Alex Mitchell.

And the visitors secured their try bonus point with nine minutes remaining as Hutchinson collected a neat Pisi offload for a fine score.